Wall assembly



Jan. 8, 1952 w s, l s 2,582,144

WALL ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 20, 1946 I 12 I {E 38 I IH HZ TI as I H J? 2 H NH J Q E I| I M K H ag za Q INVENTOR- Wi/liam 5. Mi/es.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1952 WALL ASSEMBLY William S. Miles, Hastings on Hudson, N. Y., as-

signor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation 01 New York Application February 20, 1946, Serial No. 648,870

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to building constructions and more particularly to improved wall assemblies of the curtain wall type.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of an improved, light-weight wall construction which is relatively inexpensive from the standpoint of both material and installation costs, and which may be assembled from known construction materials.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a curtain wall which will meet the requirements of modern buildings in which temperature and humidity conditions are to be controlled within narrow limits.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a wall construction, as referred to above, which has the resistance to weather, thermal and sound-insulating properties, and interior lightreflecting values needed for such buildings.

Briefly stated, the invention is embodied in a wall construction for factories or other large buildings, particularly buildings of the windowless type, employing a frame structure including horizontally extending girts or channels spaced at suitable intervals, say, about 4' apart. In accordance with the invention, interior panels, each including a fibrous layer functioning as a thermal insulator, and as a sound-absorber where sound correction is desired, and also including a light-reflecting facing sheet, are inserted between and supported on the girts to provide a continuous wall. In addition, the construction includes an insulating layer exteriorly of the panels, and weather facing elements, preferably corruated, asbestos-cement sheets, overlying this insulating layer. A vapor barrier is employed between the outer insulating layer and the facing panels.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is to follow and to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, for clearness of illustration, of a portion of a wall assembly of the invention; and,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, with parts broken away for clearness of illustration, of a panel employed in the construction of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, a wall construction is shown including main framing members It. These are horizontally extending girts, suitably supported on vertical columns or members (not shown) spaced at suitable intervals. Members ID are preferably of channel cross-section and may be of lighter construction than is the usual practice, due to the light-weight character of the wall structure now to be described.

In accordance with the instant invention, the spaces between the horizontally extending irts l0 are closed with panels I2. The panels are made of a length to fit between the girts and are placed in edgewise, contiguous relationship to form a continuous wall with a rear face in the plane, or substantially in the plane, defined by outer flanges I4 of the girts Hi. In the construction shown, the channels ID are faced downwardly in accordance with conventional practice, and the upper edges of the panels are received within the channel. To enable the outer faces of the several panels to lie in the same plane, their upper margins are preferably bent Or deformed inwardly, as shown in Fig. l, to accommodate flange l4.

Referring to Fig. 2, each panel comprises a channel member It made of a relatively lightweight sheet steel, say, sheet steel of approximately 26 gauge. The channel member includes a rear wall l8, side fianges 2|], and narrow face flanges 22 extending toward each other from the outer edges of the side flanges. The channel member receives a layer of insulating material 24, preferably a fibrous blanket or batt such as a mineral wool insulating batt of known'type, comprising a felted body of the fibers maintained in their inter-felted relationship by a minor proportion of a binder distributed through the body. Batts or pads of other types of insulating materials such as wood fiber, cotton, hairfelt and the like may, however, be employed with equal facility, but .do not have the fire-resistant properties of mineral wool. The fibrous insulating layer 24 is secured to the rear wall :8 of the channel member by a suitable adhesive 26, such as an asphalt or other similar, relatively inexpensive bonding material. A member 28, such as a lightweight, unsaturated asbestos felt, may, but not necessarily, be placed to overlie layer 24. A facing panel 30, suitably a relatively thin, say, to V in thickness, flexible asbestos-cement sheet is laid over membrane 28 with its side edges inserted preferably beneath flanges 22 and suitably secured to the flanges as by screws 32. Facing sheets 30 may be made sound-impervious in order that the panels will serve as a sound-absorblng'treatment in addition to their other functions. For this purpose, the sheet is preferably provided with a multiplicity of relatively closely spaced perforations 34 which permit the passage of airborne sound through the facing sheet to the sound-absorbing body comprising layer 25 and membrane 28. The requirements with respect to the size and spacing of the perforations for this purpose are well known in the art and are fully explained, for example, in patent to Norris, #1,?26500, issued August 27, 1929.

Referring again to Fig. 1, there is shown connecting strips 36, made of light gauge sheet steel, say, 16 gauge, secured to the girt flanges M to extend longitudinally of the girts. The strips may be either directly welded to the girts or may be secured by spring clips or other fastening means of any suitable type. The connecting strips extend above and below the flange and the extended portions are secured to the panels above and below the girt by sheet metal screws or other conventional fastening means 38, whereby the plurality 0f panels making up the wall face are maintained in assembled relationship on the framing structure.

A barrier against the passage of moisture through the wall is applied against the surface of the wall defined by the rear faces of panels 52. This vapor barrier, indicated at 4%, may suitably consist of an asphalt-saturated Paper or felt, cemented as by asphalt to such surface. The

vapor barrier may comprise a continuous layer of the felt as shown, or it may comprise the impermeable rear faces of the panels l2 with the addition of paper or felt strips cemented over the joints between the panels and between the panels and strips 36.

Studs or bolts 42 are welded to connecting strips 36 at suitable intervals. The studs are secured to the strips prior to the application of the vapor barrier .13. Where the latter is an asphalt-saturated paper or felt, it is forced onto the studs which readily penetrate the felt or paper. Channel shaped supporting clips it are mounted on the studs which project through perrorations in the rear wall of the clips. Nuts 45 are threaded onto the studs to maintain the clips in position and to seal the openings made by the studs in penetrating the vapor barrier. Clips Mi carry channels 48 formed from relatively light gauge steel, say 11 gauge, the flanges of the channels preferably being received within the flanges of the clips, as shown, and secured thereto by sheet metal screws or the like 50.

Channels 48 support the exterior wall covering. This is preferably made up of weather-resistant, corrugated, asbestos-cement sheets 52 laid in side and end overlapping relationship in a conventional manner. The sheets '52 are fastened to the channels by sheet metal screws in dicated at 54. These are provided with a lead head or washer, as shown, which, when the screws are driven home, fill the openings around the screw shanks and seal them against the passage of moisture. An insulating layer 55 is laid between the channels, the insulation lying within the spaces defined by the covering sheets 52,

channels 48 and panels I2. The insulating layer is dimensioned so that it will not press into and fill the corrugations of the covering sheets, in

order that the corrugations may provide ventilating passageways. Suitable mineral wool batts of conventional type and similar to those used for layers 24 are employed for this purpose, the batts resting against the peaks of the corrugaticns 52. The insulation may also be spaced from the vapor barrier, suitable spacing means (not shown) being inserted between the vapor barrier and insulation if found necessary.

A wall assembly as described above is constructed of known building materials, all directly available on the market, with the exception of channel member l6 which must be fabricated to the required shape. However, in view of the light gauge metal used and the simplicity of design, this presents no serious problem. The assembly provides a weather-resistant, sound-absorbent and thermally insulated wall of relatively light and low-cost construction. The thermal insulating qualities are obtained, both from the insulating layer 24, which also serves asa sound-absorbing or a sound-dissipating media, and the outer layer 56. By properly dimensioning channel members 16 and channels 48. the insulating layers may be of any suitable thickness to give a combined thickness of insulation which will produce the effect desired. Suitably the layer 24 is of substantially less thickness than the outer insulating layer 56. For example, layer 24 may be about 2" and the outer layer 56 approximately 4" in thickness.

The corrugations of the covering sheets 52 provide vertical fiues allowing air to circulate and ventilate the outer insulating layer 56 to remove moisture vapor which may tend to gather at the rear of the sheathing, and to dissipate solar heat. The vapor barrier 40 prevents transmission of moisture vapor through the wall and, hence, protects the wall on both sides of the barrier from dew point condensation.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to but that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the sub joined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wall assembly comprising a supporting structure including spaced, horizontal members, insulating panels resting on one of said members and inserted between and bridging the space between said member and the adjacent member, said panels having a facing sheet on the surface thereof exposed interlorly of the wall, supports carried by said members, exterior covering sheets carried by said supports and defining a space with said supports and panels, and insulating material in said space.

2. A wall assembly comprising a supporting structure including vertically spaced, horizontal members, panels resting on one of said members and inserted between and bridging the space between said member and the adjacent member, said panels including an insulating layer and a facing sheet overlying said insulating layer,

said facing sheet having a surface exposed interiorly of the wall, supports carried by said members, exterior covering sheets carried by said supports and defining a space with said supports and panels, and insulating material in said space.

3. A wall assembly comprising a supporting structure including vertically spaced, horizontal members, panels resting on one of said members and inserted between and bridging the space between said member and the adjacent member, said panels having a facing surface exposed interiorly of the wall, supports carried by said members, exterior covering sheets carried by said supports and defining a space with said supports and panels, a layer of insulating material in said space, and a vapor barrier between said insulating space and said panels.

4. A wall assembly comprising a supporting structure including vertically spaced, horizontal members; panels resting on one of said members and inserted between and bridging the space between said member and the adjacent member; a panel including an insulating layer and a facing sheet overlying said insulating layer, said facing sheet having a surface exposed interiorly of the wall; supports carried by said supporting members; exterior covering sheets carried by said supports and defining a space with said supports and panels; a layer of insulating material in said space; and a vapor barrier between said insulating material and said panels.

5. A wall assembly comprising a supporting structure including vertically spaced, horizontal members, panels supported on and bridging the space between said members, means securing said panels to said members, clips fastened to said members, channel carried by said clips and extending parallel to said members, exterior covering sheets carried by said channels and defining a space with the channels and panels, and a layer of insulating material in said space.

6. A wall assembly comprising a supporting 6 structure including vertically spaced, horizontal members, panels supported on and bridging the space between said members, means securing said panels to said members, clips fastened to said members, channels carried by said clips and extending parallel to said members, corrugated covering sheets carried by said channels and defining a space with said channels and panels, a layer of insulating material in said space, and a continuous vapor barrier between said insulating material and said panels.

WILLIAM S. MILES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,777,879 Ewertz et al Oct. 7, 1930 1,875,074 Mason Aug. 30, 1932 1,880,153 Rosenzweig Sept. 27, 1932 2,245,611 Schultz June 17, 1941 2,248,810 Corso July 8, 1941 2,268,517 Small Dec. 30, 1941 2,397,447 Tarbox Mar. 26, 1946 2,397,450 Watter Mar. 26, 1946 

